World Superbike Assen

Rea, Razgatlioglu at odds over controversial Assen WSBK crash

Jonathan Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu disagreed over who was to blame for the crash that wiped both riders out of the final World Superbike race at Assen on Sunday.

Rachit Thukral Sebastian Fränzschky

Edited: Apr 26, 2022, 6:16 AM

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Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK

Kawasaki rider Rea was aiming for a hat-trick of wins in the Dutch round of WSBK last weekend, having triumphed in both the opening race and the shortened nine-lap Superpole contest.

When early Race 2 leader Razgatlioglu went wide at Turn 1, Rea sensed an opportunity and drew alongside him on the short burst into the next right-hander. However, just as it appeared that Rea would be able to complete the move, with his Kawasaki partially in front, the two riders came to blows - sending their bikes skating across the track and into the gravel trap.

A video of the crash from moving cameras wasn’t immediately available, with the on-board footage released by WSBK leaving much ambiguity about how the event unfolded between the series' two biggest stars.

While Rea conceded that it was a racing incident, he felt the crash could have been avoided if Razgatlioglu had given him more space after running wide at Turn 1.

“It’s hard to get really angry about it or point fingers, but from my point of view I drew alongside Toprak on the start/finish straight," said the six-time champion.

“He braked 50 metres later than normal, he stopped the bike on the kerb before going off and he sacrificed so much speed.

“I was committed to my line going into Turn 2 and we came together. I was in front when we came together because he hit me on the rear side.

“The facts are he made a mistake. He ran wide. He completely slowed the bike down to avoid going off the track and instead of giving room to me, who he knows is right beside him because I almost overtook him into Turn 1, he committed to coming straight back on the track.

“I was on the racing line carrying normal speed. I checked my data, it's normal, probably slower because I anticipated maybe something [was going to happen]. I expected in this position some space but there wasn't.

“In this situation at Assen, normally the guy at front gives way because someone is coming on the inside. Like I did in Turn 1 in the first lap of the race with [Iker] Lecuona. I went deep. I understand you can't come back on to the track, you can't make sudden movements like into the racing line.

“So unfortunate because it really soured our weekend.”

Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WSBK, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Pata Yamaha WorldSBK

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

For his part, reigning champion Razgatlioglu said he felt it was Rea’s duty to check where the Yamaha was positioned with respect to him, as he was the one trying to make the pass.

“I tried a little bit hard to brake in the first corner,” explained the Turkish rider. “I went a little bit wide but I didn't go outside the track, I stayed in. I came back again.

“Johnny tried to pass me but I think he made a little mistake because he wasn't looking at me. I think we crashed because of this.

“I think this is a racing crash, just Johnny not looking at my line because he was just looking at his line.

“I think he needs to watch the crash again from my camera, not his camera. Because I'm in front and it's not possible to look at him.

“He needs to check, he is not looking at his left side. I think his plan was to push me outside because I went a little bit wide and he tried to pass me easily but he was not looking at me - this was the problem.”

Rea trails Assen Race 2 winner Alvaro Bautista by 18 points in the championship after the opening two rounds of the season, with Razgatlioglu already 45 points adrift of the Ducati rider in third.

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Previous article Assen WSBK: Bautista wins final race as Rea, Razgatlioglu collide

Next article Bautista: Razgatlioglu, Rea were always going to crash eventually

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